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Sunday, November 27, 2011

One of my first memories of using plants for medicine was delivered through Beatrix Potter and her adventures with Peter Rabbit. You might remember the day that Peter Rabbit narrowly escaped a harrowing ordeal in Mr. McGregor’s garden. Once he was safely home his mother gave him a cup of chamomile tea before putting him to bed. How quaint! Perhaps it was because of this pre-school impression that I didn’t take this herb very seriously.

Now, many cups of chamomile tea later, I understand what makes chamomile so extraordinary. Chamomile provides significant results while being safe and gentle for practically everyone.

As Peter Rabbit’s mother knew, chamomile is soothing and calming; perfect after those stressful days in the garden or at work. It not only helps to promote rest, but it also helps to mediate pain and inflammation. In fact, chamomile is so effective at reducing inflammation that it has been studied extensively for this ability. If you type its scientific name (Matricaria recutita) into PubMed (a government listing of biomedical studies), you’ll see it has been proven effective both for addressing phlebitis caused by chemotherapy treatments and for stopping allergies by inhibiting the histamine response. From eczema to menstrual cramps to IBS, chamomile can relieve pain and inflammation quickly and safely. That's no wussy herbal medicine!

Chamomile EnergeticsFrom an herbalist’s perspective, chamomile is considered bitter, slightly warming, and relaxing. What does this mean and why does it matter?

Herbalists don’t simply study what herb is good for what condition. Instead, each plant is analyzed on a variety of therapeutic levels. One important aspect of this is the plant’s ability to warm or cool a person. Have you ever eaten really spicy wasabi and then felt your sinuses drain? Or eaten a fresh slice of watermelon on a hot day and felt cooled and refreshed? If so, then you’ll know exactly what I am talking about.

Every medicinal plant has these characteristics to some degree or another, and understanding these actions helps herbalists to be more effective at choosing which plant can help a particular person. Chamomile is relatively neutral in temperature but perhaps slightly warming. Generally, our more neutral plants can be taken by most people and in higher amounts without causing unwanted effects. The taste of chamomile gives us further insight into how it works. Chamomile: Powerfully Ally for Digestion

The taste of a plant is also very important in understanding the plant’s actions. For example, the bitter taste on our tongue creates a cascade of events that promotes our digestive function. From stimulating saliva (our first digestive juice) to various enzymes in the stomach, liver and pancreas, one can argue that the bitter taste is needed at every meal. A strongly brewed cup of chamomile provides this bitter taste, thus promoting healthy digestion. Chamomile can be especially beneficial for people with a “nervous stomach” as it both calms and soothes while stimulating digestive function. It can also be used by people with digestive inflammation (such as heartburn or IBS) to mediate inflammatory levels in the gut mucosa.

Furthering helping with digestion are chamomile aromatic qualities which break up stagnant digestion. Ever had stagnant digestion? It's characterized by bloating and the feeling that there's a bowling ball in your stomach. Chamomile for Relaxation

Chamomile has many applications for common complaints. Besides helping to relax the nervous system chamomile also can relax muscle tissue. Women may find their menstrual cramps abated with a strong cup of chamomile tea, or diminished by rubbing their abdomen with oil infused with chamomile blossoms. Any mother whose colicky or teething child has been soothed to sleep (or simply quieted) by chamomile will tell you this is beneficial stuff!

List of Issues Chamomile Can HelpKeeping in mind the above energetic considerations as well as the broader personalized considerations (diet, food intolerances, lifestyle etc). I commonly use chamomile for people with the following health issues.

menstrual cramps

soothe teething, colicky or grumpy children

eczema

gas

bloating

diarrhea

leaky gut

tension headaches

difficulty sleeping

butterflies in stomach

anxiety

promote beautiful skin

How to make chamomile as medicineIf you’ve ever stuck a chamomile tea bag into a cup of hot water for five minutes, then you’ve experienced chamomile as a delightful and slightly sweet tea. To get more therapeutic results, use more chamomile and steep for longer. I generally use 1/2 cup of flowers to a pint of just-boiled water and I let it steep for 20-30 minutes. The resulting brew is decidedly less sweet and more bitter than a cup of tea but this stronger concoction provides more relief for many of the issues listed in this article.

Besides drinking this strong infusion, it can also be used on skin as a rinse or added to bath water to relieve itching of mild rashes. Chamomile is also used as a tincture, a glycerite and as an infused oil. Special ConsiderationsMost people will find that chamomile is effective and safe. A small percentage of people are allergic to chamomile and will have reactions. It's always best to try new herbs and foods in small amounts.

Friday, November 25, 2011

First things first, here is the winner of a year's subscription to Herbal Roots Zine!

Desiree Moonstone

Desiree, I've sent you a message on Facebook to coordinate getting you set up to receive an entire year of Herbal Roots Zine. Congrats!!!

Thank you so much to all of you for participating in this week's giveaway. During this Thanksgiving holiday I've felt especially blessed and supported by our herbal community. Thank you!

I have spent the past few days putting the final touches on my ebook, Herbal Remedies for Children During the Cold and Flu Season.

Besides including everything that was presented in the webinar earlier this week I've added a lot more recipes and herbal information.

This ebook covers

Dosage issues for children

When to see a doctor

Herbs for fevers

Herbs for coughs

Herbs for congestion

Herbs for sore throats

Herbs for tummy troubles

Herbs for earaches

Herbs for teething

Herbal baths

and many herbal recipes

When I first envisioned creating this ebook I thought it would be more of a supportive pamphlet to accompany the webinar. However I got carried away and the ebook is over 20,000 words and is 90 pages long.

On November 26th my ebook will go on sale at 12:00 pm PST. If you would like to win a free copy of this ebook then here's what to do.

I have to say that although I am pretty new to this whole giveaway phenomenon I am quickly falling in love. It is so much fun to give away gifts! Thank you to LearningHerbs.com and Demetria Clark for their generous gifts!

Without further ado our winner of the Wildcraft! game and the book Herbal Healing for Children is....

gardensage

Gardensage, please contact me so I can get these prizes shipped off to you!

Today we have a very exciting gift which was generously donated by Kristine Brown, the beautiful and creative proprietor of Herbal Roots Zine.

A year's subscription to Herbal Roots Zine!!!!

If you've been following me for even a short while you'll know I am a huge fan of this monthly educational zine. It is filled with stories, songs and all sorts of crafts and other learning opportunities. I mentor a ten year old girl and she loves this as well (but really I subscribe for myself!).

This zine has taught me how to use comfrey to fertilize my garden, how to use herbal dyes to make beautiful scarves and how to belt out songs about yarrow (as sung to Annie's Tomorrow)

Sign up for my list below (which notifies you about further prizes and my upcoming ebook on Herbal Remedies for Children during the cold and flu season)

For EACH of the above things that you do, leave me a comment below. I'll enter your name in the hat for EACH comment you submit.

So, if you shared this post on Facebook, simply write that in the comment field and I'll add your name to the hat. This means that you may make several separate comments for each action you take.

You can enter your name up to 5 times!

I'll draw the name for the winner tomorrow night at 9:00 PM PST and announce it here tomorrow morning.

Good luck!

Here's what people are saying about Herbal Roots Zine.

“The information included on each herb is simple and experiential enough to entertain even very young children and in-depth and insightful enough to engage teens and yes, even us old timers. Personally, I find Herbal Roots to be an invaluable treasure in the homeschooling of our 10 year old daughter, Rhiannon. Which gives me a great excuse to read it myself. Even beyond parents, Herbal Roots Zine provides a great resource to any educator or caregiver hoping to find effective and easy ways to facilitate connection between children, the earth and the healing herbs.”

-Kiva Rose

Though directed at kids, Herbal Roots Zine is IDEAL for adults. I love how it keeps things simple, and I love the great, beautiful art.

You get to learn through information and recipes sure, but the REAL magic is in the PLAY…songs, poems, crafts, puzzles and stories. These are the oldest form of human learning. We’re hard wired for it, and this is why Herbal Roots Zine is the most effective herbal learning tool I have seen.

Kristine is an amazing artist and herbalist. As a mom of 4 kids, she has a true gift for connecting with kids. Though my own children really love Herbal Roots Zine, secretly, it’s me who spends the most time with it. Shhhh.”

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Today is the second day of our giveaway! But FIRST I have the announcement of yesterday's winner.

As a reminder, this person will receive Lesley Tierra's book, A Kid's Herb Book and a 4 oz bottle of Planetary Herbals Well-Child blend.

The winner is...

Wanderer

Congratulations! I'll be in touch in order to get these gifts shipped off to you. And a special thank you to the East West School of Herbology for donating these great gifts for this giveaway.

Today we have another set of fabulous gifts that will be given as a pair.

The first gift is the Herbal Adventure Game, Wildcraft! by LearningHerbs.com. If you've never played this game you are in for a treat! In this co-operative board game the players travel through a spiral to get to the huckleberry bush to gather berries for grandmother's pie. The goal is for everyone to gather berries and return home before dark. Along the way there are many opportunities to learn about medicinal plants.

Kids of all ages LOVE this game. (Myself included!)

Wildcraft! is great family fun.Gather up the kids, bring out the board game, and learn about medicinal and edible plants in the most fun way imaginable.This is wonderfully cooperative game where everyone is a winner and everyone learns something about plants!

–Rosemary Gladstar,

Author of 'A Family Herbal' and MANY books

The second gift is a very informative book entitled Herbal Healing for Children by Demetria Clark. This book covers a wide range of ailments and herbs for children. A great reference for your bookshelf.

" Demetria Clark gifts us with an enjoyable, thorough parenting guide for anyone who wants empower themselves and their children. 'Herbal medicine is people's medicine' is a constant theme in this book-and we all benefit.

Susun S. Weed, author of Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year

Here's how this works. If you would like to win these two prizes you can enter your name in the drawing multiple times by doing one or more of the following things.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Today I am very excited to be giving away a spectacular book and a super useful herbal medicine for children.

The book by Lesley Tierra is a must have for your young herbal enthusiast. I use it practically every week with my little herbal mentor Tova Rose (who is now 10). The book contains stories, songs, interesting facts and plenty of great herbal crafts for kids. Because of this book I brush my teeth with cinnamon powder!

The Well-Child formula contains Echinacea and Elderberries - a great combination for young ones with a cold or flu.

Here's how this works. If you would like to win these two prizes you can enter your name in the drawing multiple times by doing one or more of the following things.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

I hope you were able to attend the webinar tonight by Michael Tierra and me.

I am almost done with the ebook that accompanies the webinar. This ebook contains all the information presented in the webinar plus lots more recipes and more in depth information about herbs.

You can sign up for my newsletter in the list below to be notified of when it goes on sale.

In the days leading up to the sale of the ebook I am going to be hosting a giveaway! By signing up below you'll find out about how you can win the wonderful herbal prizes this week, including books, games and herbal medicine.

Prizes will be shipped to US only. However if I draw someone's name who lives in another country I'll be sure to give them an ebook (free shipping!).

On Wednesday, November 23rd I'll be giving away a copy of A Kid's Herb Book by Lesley Tierra and a 4 oz bottle of Well Child form Planetary herbals.

On Thursday I'll be giving away Wildcraft! the herbal adventure board game and Demetria Clark's book, Herbal Healing For Children.

On Friday I'll be giving away an entire year's subscription to the Herbal Roots Zine.

Then on Saturday (cross my fingers the ebook will be done), I'll giveaway a copy of my ebook and put it on sale!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Fevers are often the most dreaded aspect of having the flu. They can bring aches and pains with them as well as uncomfortable thermal changes in the body. From cold shivers to waking up drenched in sweat, to aches and pains and restlessness, fevers are not most people’s cup o’ tea.

Many people even fear fevers and this fever seems to be exponentiated when it is a fever in children. Officially called, “fever phobia” there is a current drive to educate people and parents to dispel many of the myths surrounding fevers.

Fevers are one of our most important immune system defenses. Physiologically, a fever is created by the hypothalamus gland raising the body temperature in response to detecting bacterial proteins in the body, or the detection of cytokines, which are chemicals released in the body at the site of an infection. The raising of the body temperature is a defense mechanism of the immune system that attempts to kill various viruses and bacteria because they do not tolerate high temperatures.

Not only does the temperature of the body affect pathogenic growth, but fevers also increase bloodand lymphatic circulation, thereby helping to deliver a better immune response. Herbalist Paul Bergner says that antibody production is increased 20 fold during a fever.

The fact that fevers are beneficial does not change the fact that they can be uncomfortable. In the herbalist’s paradigm the focus of addressing someone with a fever is not to suppress the fever, but rather to support the person’s immune system as well as bring comfort to the feverish person.

How we do this depends on the state of the person and the stage of the fever. I am going to present a fever in four different stages, which is how I originally learned from Paul Bergner. Please keep in mind that fevers rarely progress along a linear track.

Don’t Forget!

I’ve said it many times in this series on cold and flu, but it is worth mentioning again. Rest and sleep are often the best medicine we can take while we are sick. None of these herbal suggestions are meant to replace rest.

Beginning Stages of a Fever - External Wind-Cold

The first indications of a fever are often feelings of being cold. As discussed above, the hypothalamus detects the need to raise the body’s set point temperature. In this first stage the patient often feels cold as the body attempts to heat up. Shivering, which raises the metabolism up to 30%, may occur to increase body temperature and there is usually an aversion to cold and to wind.

In this stage we often instinctually reach for more clothes, take a warm bath, or crawl under the covers. By taking these actions we are helping the inherent wisdom of the body by taking care to warm up!

Another highly effective approach during this stage of the fever is sweating therapy. If you don't have easy access to a sauna, this can be done by putting your feet in a tub of water while sitting in a chair. The water should be as hot as possible without causing discomfort. Then, wrap a sheet and then a thick blanket around yourself, covering your body, the steaming water and chair. Leave your head poking out. The steam will heat up your tent giving you a DIY sauna. Keep up the sauna, changing out the water as necessary, for as long as it feels good to you.

We can further help support our immune system by administering warming and stimulating diaphoretics. Warming or stimulating diaphoretics, sometimes referred to as diffusive herbs, increase the core temperature that then radiates to the surface.

Materia Medica of Warming and Stimulating Diaphoretics

In general we want to give the following herbs as hot teas. Tinctures can also be used by placing the tincture in hot water.

Ginger

I’ve mentioned ginger in every part of this series. It’s true that if I only had one herb during a respiratory infection, I would want it to be ginger.

This spicy herb is an effective stimulating diaphoretic. You can use fresh or dried ginger root (actually rhizome) for this, I prefer dried since it is spicier in nature. For the best results make the strongest decoction you can of the root. I generally use 2 tablespoons of dried root to about10 ounces of water. If this is too strong for you, dilute it with some water and then use less root next time.

Yarrow(Achillea millefolium)

Yarrow is famous for it’s ability to aid a person during a fever. Like most herbs it refuses to be categorized and I use it both during the cold stages of a fever and the warm stages. You can also take a dropperful of the tincture in a quarter cup of warm/hot water. Read more about yarrow here.

Butterfly on yarrow flowers

The following recipe is a wonderful tea blend for fevers that is beneficial for most people during the various stages. I think it is important that we learn to differentiate what herbs to use for specific stages and people. However, for those friends and family less herbally nerdy than myself I often give them this tea blend to have on hand since it just plain helps fevers. I’ve heard that this recipe comes from the European Gypsies.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs associated with the Liver are often used during times of fever. I’ve only just begun to use western “liver” herbs for fevers but wanted to mention this since it is my current interest.

Popular Chinese formulas for fevers include Gan Mao Ling which is a formula commonly used for External Wind-Heat (see below). And Minor Blue Dragon Combination (Xiao Qing Long Tang) is more commonly used for External Wind-Cold.

Minor Bupleurum Combination (Xiao Chai Hu Tang) is an interesting formula built around Bupleurum and Skullcap (Huang Qin)that is used for lingering colds and flu and for those manifestations that are half internal and half external, half hot and half cold and half excess half deficient.

You can buy these formulas as patent formulas, but more traditional medicine would formulate these core formulas to match the person more closely.

Warm stages of a fever - External Wind-Heat

The second stage is when the body temperature has reached the set point. The thermometer will read a higher temperature.

During this stage of the fever the pulse may be rapid and strong, there may be a yellow coating on the tongue and the skin may feel warm and dry. Drowsiness may also result. The patient is no longer shivering. Although keep in mind that once we have a fever the temperature is rarely set in stone. It’s quite normal to see temperatures rising and lowering slightly.

During this stage we want to focus on the following: rest, a well-ventilated room, being hydrated with an emphasis on lukewarm drinks rather than hot beverages and bringing comfort to the person with a fever. Hydrotherapy can also be employed by taking tepid (not cold) baths.

Herbally speaking we generally use relaxing diaphoretics during this time. Relaxing diaphoretics open the pores, letting the heat escape. To borrow a analogy from jim mcdonald, it’s like opening a window in a hot a stuffy room.

Pain and restlessness are the biggest complaints during this stage of the fever. Using herbs to soothe and comfort the feverish person are also quite welcome.

Boneset(Eupatorium perfoliatum)

During a fever it’s common to experience general aches and pains throughout the body. These aches are from muscle tissue being broken down as a result of amino acids being taken from the muscles. Once these amino acids are freed up they are utilized in anti-body production, white blood cell production, and tissue repair. Boneset, which we will discuss below is specific for helping this phase of a fever.

Boneset has been an important herb historically during intense flu outbreaks. The common name most likely refers to its use during an illness when the “bones feel like breaking.” It was used extensively during the flu outbreak of 1918 as well as for dengue (an acute febrile infection in the tropics) outbreaks. It is specific for when you feel the aches and pains of a fever.

Boneset also has immunostimulant properties and has been clinically shown to increase phagocytosis (Bergner). This may make it another important regimen at the beginning stages of a cold or flu.

If you feel the aches creeping in, have a 1⁄2 cup serving of warm boneset tea. Drink this bitter herb too hot and it can cause vomiting.

I am going to warn you that this is generally not people’s favorite herb to taste. It’s incredibly bitter. Adding elderflowers, rose hips and mint may slightly improve its taste. Many people find that it bring such welcome relief to their aches and pains that they become accustomed to the taste and even welcome it during feverish stages.

Elderflower(Sambucus nigra, S. canadensis)

Elderflower is a relaxing diaphoretic that is effective, yet extremely gentle. Young children, expecting mothers, and elders can use this herb as needed. I often tell parents that this is the one herb to have on hand for their child’s illness.

One common formula is to mix elderflowers with mints. I usually take my elderflower in a tea blend as listed in the above section on yarrow. You can also place a cup of elderflowers in a quart mason jar, fill with just boiled water, strain after a half hour and then drink lukewarm.

Elderflowers near Escalante, Utah

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

Chamomile often doesn’t get the respect it deserves! This is a wonderful herb to use in fevers and is especially useful for calming a distressed child (along with hugs and comfort from caregivers) and for those aches and pains. But don’t get fooled into thinking chamomile is a “child’s herb.” It can soothe us adults as well and bring a lot of relief from pain during a fever.

Chamomile

Catnip(Nepeta cataria)

Another safe yet effective plant, catnip has a mild taste makes it a good choice for little ones.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Another relaxing diaphoretic, lemon balm can also soothe the nerves to allay stress and reduce the duration and painfulness of fever blisters (herpes virus). More info here.

The Third Stage

During the third stage of fever the hypothalamus lowers the set point temperature to normal. The body’s cooling response is to sweat profusely. This “breaking of the fever” involves profuse sweating and is often accompanied by the throwing off of the covers.

It’s normal during this third stage for there to be a fluctuation of temperatures, so a person may feel chilled and then too hot, then chilled and then too hot and so on. In the end the temperature can often linger about a degree too high and will then, eventually, fall to normal.

Willow(Salix spp.)

Willow bark is specific for intermittent fevers or those fevers with fluctuating temperatures. I generally use it as a tincture in lukewarm water but you could certainly use it as a decoction as well. More info here.

Stay hydrated!

In this stage the highest risk from harm is due to dehydration. Throughout all the stages of a fever a person should be kept well-hydrated, but this becomes especially important during this stage due to the large loss of liquid through the sweating process.

Aviva Romm suggest the following blend to help balance the electrolytes and keep some dehydrated.

Quart of water

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

2-3 tablespoons of honey or sugar

juice of half a lemon

Mix all the ingredients together (you may need to heat the mixture slightly to get everything to blend well). Then drink often as sips.

Fourth Stage of the Fever

The fourth stage involves repairing and healing. Generally it is recommend that a person recovering from a feverish illness rest two days for every three days of fever. It’s also important to eat easily digestible protein (such as bone broth soups), to shower, to change sheets and generally making sure you are nourished, rested, clean, and comfortable. Returning to a regular regime too quickly can further compromise your immune system, leaving you more susceptible to sickness in the future.

Fever Considerations

When is a temperature too high?

It’s important to not become too obsessed with the numbers on the thermometer. The best indication that a fever has become serious enough for more advanced care is the state of the person or child. Delirium, loss of consciousness or extreme fatigue are all serious signs.

Anytime severe dehydration comes in to play also indicates time for medical treatment.

In a normal person a fever has to get extremely high before it will cause injury. Human cells start dying at 1100.

Truly the highest risk from fevers is from dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

However, there are special considerations when dealing with infants and the elderly or anyone who has a compromised immune system such as AIDS, cancer, or prolonged illness.

Bergner relates a review published in the conservative medical journal The New

English Journal of Medicine that looked at the treatment of fevers. It concluded

that there are three classes of people for whom lowering the fever is beneficial.

people with heart disease (because the heart has to work really hard during a fever)

very weak patients (increased metabolic demand may be too much)

some cases of pulmonary disease

Basically if you have special health circumstances or if you are caretaking someone with a fever who is displaying alarming signs (as stated above) then please seek medical help.

To eat or not to eat?

Ever wonder why it’s commonly said to starve a fever and feed a cold? When a person’s temperature rises one degree past their normal set point their natural appetite disappears. This is due to amino acids in the body being used for the immune response rather than for digestion. Ingesting bone broth soups and nutritious teas and infusions will serve you much better than eating while you have a fever. Once a temperature returns to normal, regular foods can be introduced back into the diet.

Most importantly do not force yourself to eat during illness. Stay hydrated and only eat when hungry.

Febrile seizures

A febrile seizure is a convulsion triggered by a rise in body temperature. It is a myth that high fevers cause febrile seizures. If children are prone to febrile seizures then that seizure will happen as easily at 1010as it will at a higher temperature.

Paul Bergner:

Febrile seizures in children are not correlated with the severity of the fever. The cause is generally unknown, and they affect 3-5% of children in the U.S. and about 15% in some countries. Giving antipyretic drugs does not reduce the incidence of future seizures in children. Most disappear by age five. Most do not indicate a serious cerebral disease.

If a baby is experiencing a febrile seizure it is recommended to place the baby on their side to allow for saliva to flow from the mouth to keep the baby from choking. If a seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes call 911.

Herbalist Kiva Rose told me about using elderflower for those children who are prone to febrile seizures. It’s believed to help reset the fever mechanism.

In treating fevers use your best judgment and remember our job is to support the body’s natural functions, not quell symptoms. Fevers can be serious – if in doubt seek more advanced care.

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This Blog reflects my personal experiences and is for educational purposes only. This information is not meant to take the place of a medical diagnosis or prescription - please seek out a holistic health care practitioner who truly cares about people, health, and the planet. This blog also contains affiliate links, using these links to make purchases supports the free information on this site. Thank you!